Wish
by Emotional-Hikari
Summary: (CHAPT. 6 UP FINALLY) Unable to take the pain of being an assassin, Youji makes a wish to God that puts him a coma for 8 years. Once he has awaken, a lot of things have changed since 8 years... (Pls R&R)
1. Chapter 1: Take it Away, Kamisama

Yoshi!!! Here I go again, writing another story without thought... lalala.... anyways...  
  
Yoho Minna-san! Just got back from Japan – but I want to go back now!! Oh well, anyways – new fic, please enjoy!  
  
Warnings: Maybe shounen-ai in future  
  
Pairings: I'll keep it a secret!  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, threatening heavy rain. Weary jade green eyes stared up at the evening sky, ears faintly hearing the familiar rumble of thunder.  
  
// How did I end up like this? //  
  
A small flash caught his eye, hearing faint rumbling following after. The wind picked up a little, strands of long blond tresses fluttering slightly in the wind.  
  
// What did I have... to take this profession? //  
  
Youji stopped, staring at the ground with tired eyes. He felt a drop of rain on his face, but that was all. He searched for the nearest shelter, finding a church not too far away on a small hill. Youji stared at the building for several minutes before he started walking over to the doors. He pushed the hand-crafted wooden doors open, closing them behind him once he stepped inside; he looked around the church, and assumed it empty.  
  
Youji leaned against the doors, eyes wondering around the room; jade green eyes finally rested at the front where the altar stood. The area was lit by a florescent light hidden somewhere above the alter. A medium size statue of Jesus on the cross hung above the altar, the florescent light giving it a holy aura.  
  
He walked down the aisle, passing by the empty pews, to the steps leading to the altar. He stopped, staring up at the statue of Jesus.  
  
// How did I accept to be an assassin? //  
  
Youji felt tears begin to form in around his eyes.  
  
// I kill to protect – I know, but... what of those that weren't suppose to be killed? //  
  
Youji dropped his head down, closing his eyes tight as the tears began to pour. His mind replayed memories, faces, sounds – the night he killed Neu, more like the one he loved. Two young teen girls, victims, who had said it didn't matter and willing let him kill them. Youji stopped his tears slowly, staring back up at the statue.  
  
// Kami-sama... I've never – called on you before... but... //  
  
The night sky darkened, lightening being the only light dancing across the sky.  
  
// Naze ka? Why do so many die by Weiss? By my hand? //  
  
Thunder and lightening clashed together, the storm moving slowly over the church grounds, but no rain came down.  
  
// Take it, Kami-sama... take away this pain!! //  
  
Youji stared up at the decorative stain glass-like wall behind the statue.  
  
// This pain... take it, take this life, Kami-sama... //  
  
The florescent light above the altar flickered a moment, but it went unnoticed by Youji's eyes.  
  
// I don't care how long... Kami-sama just take it all away... //  
  
Lightening outside struck the metal rod on the highest roof of the church. The florescent light flickered quite violently. Youji's eyes widen a little at the phenomena, before the light went out completely. A different light shone, a more natural light, in the place of the florescent light; Youji's eyes widened to near impossible size, before he closed them, opening his arms to the light.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Oi! Do you really think Farafello would go into churches?"  
  
"Do you have any better ideas?" Crawford asked, looking over his shoulder at Schuldig briefly. The redhead shrugged his shoulders, following behind Crawford towards the small church on the hill. Farafello, their resident madman and wisher for the death of God, had escaped his bonds; now Crawford and Schuldig were out looking for him.  
  
Crawford pushed one door open, stepping inside; Schuldig stood by the door, half-heartedly searching the room.  
  
"Okay, he's not here – let's go!" Schuldig turned around to go out the door, but Crawford grabbed a handful of red hair, jerking the redhead back. Schuldig let out a yelp of pain.  
  
"There's someone here!" He stated plainly, ignoring the annoyed look on Schuldig's face. He pointed to the front of the church, showing the redhead the vague figure lying on the steps in the light.  
  
"So?"  
  
"Farafello might have been through here – if they've survived the encounter, they might help." Crawford walked towards the unconscious person lying on the steps, pausing when he saw who it was. Schuldig sensed the slight surprise in the older man's thoughts, coming up to his side.  
  
"Nan da? Who is it?" Schuldig looked at the person, letting out a small noise of surprise as well. He smirked, placing his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Didn't think Kudou believed in Christianity."  
  
"We should check him over – if Farafello let him live, we might have some clue." Crawford knelt down by Youji's unconscious form, removing the strands of blond hair away from his face. He carefully turned the blond over, checking Youji for any signs of injury or abuse his body might have encountered if Farafello had come by. The blond seemed perfectly fine. Crawford stood to his feet, turning to Schuldig.  
  
"Go into his mind, see if he has any subconscious memories."  
  
"Hai, hai." Schuldig replied casually; he knelt down on one knee, staring at Youji with a slight smirk. He closed his eyes, reaching a hand out to place on the blond's forehead; Schuldig focused his mind on getting into Youji's head. The minute he broke through, however, a sharp flash between his hand and Youji sent him flying back against the front pew. Crawford stood back with a slight surprise, going over to help Schuldig to his feet.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I'm – not sure... but...." Schuldig paused, thinking of the brief moment he had entered into Youji's head before being flown back. Crawford looked at him expectantly, waiting for the redhead to continue on; when Schuldig didn't, he spoke up.  
  
"But, what?"  
  
"His mind – is empty..." Schuldig finished; Crawford blinked, letting go of Schuldig once he was sure the other man could stand on his own. He glanced at Youji, going over to inspect the body more closely – Youji was still breathing.  
  
"It's blank... but it can't be blank – even sleeping people have thoughts!" Crawford glanced back at Schuldig from the corner of his eyes, before looking back at Youji. He searched again, finding nothing broke or cut, or even damaged in any way unnoticeable. Crawford pushed his glasses up further on his nose, carefully picking the blond up in his arms.  
  
"O-oi! What are you doing?!" Schuldig asked, quite surprised that Crawford was carrying the Weiss member out of the church. The older man ignored him, nodding his head in a way that said it was time to go. Schuldig stared with confusion, but followed after Crawford anyways.  
  
:: Oi – what are you planning?? ::  
  
// Weiss is not an enemy – only when our missions clash against each other. //  
  
Schuldig paused in his steps, rolling in his mind what Crawford had said in response.  
  
// Only when our missions clash, ne? //  
  
Schuldig stood for a moment thinking, before brushing it aside and shrugged his shoulders. He resumed following Crawford back to the car, watching the older man place Youji across the back seat. Schuldig waited in the passenger's side for Crawford to get in and drive off.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Omi sat on the couch with his knees to his chest, curled in a little ball. Ken was sitting next to him, watching whatever was on the TV; Aya sat in an armchair across the way, a book in hand. Omi stared down at the floor, burying his face in his knees; he was worried –very worried, that Youji hadn't come home yet and it was coming close to ten o'clock PM.  
  
// Youji-kun, I hope you're okay... //  
  
Omi felt a gentle hand on his head, turning his head to stare into concern brown eyes.  
  
"Oi, are you okay? You seem upset about something?"  
  
"Hm, I'm worried about Youji-kun. He hasn't been home since 3 this afternoon." Ken put on a teasing smile, saying that the older man probably went out clubbing or something and just didn't tell them. Omi sighed, but tried to smile a little bit.  
  
"I hope that's the case, Ken-kun..." Omi stared back down at the floor, while Ken restored his attention back to the TV. A few minutes later a knock on the door dragged everyone's attention. Aya closed his book, putting down on a side table and get up and headed for the door; Ken followed behind him, Omi following last behind.  
  
Aya opened the door, the shock of who it was on the other side succeeding in making him temporarily speechless. Ken subconsciously held his arm out in front of Omi, letting out a slight growl.  
  
"Schwarz!!"  
  
"What do you want?" Aya demanded, crossing his arms over his chest; Crawford glared at the redhead for a moment before falling to a serious look. Schuldig stood behind, shivering slightly from the cold rain pouring down on them.  
  
"Returning something I believe that belongs to you." Crawford adjusted his hold a little, turning his head to show them Youji's face, resting against his shoulder. Ken stepped forward, hands curled in tight fists.  
  
"If you've dare hurt Youji in any way!!"  
  
"We found him like this – so don't jump to judgement yet! And I hate to add this, but..." Crawford paused a moment to readjust his hold on the blond on his back. The three Weiss members waited patiently for the Schwarz leader to continue.  
  
"We can't wake him up... and I don't think he's just sleeping."  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
They waited outside for the doctor to give them the results. After several attempts of trying to wake Youji up, the three Weiss members decided to see if an examination would explain more. Crawford and Schuldig stood against the wall, both staying there out of pure curiosity. After a few moments later, the door opened, the doctor stepping out to explain her results.  
  
"I'm not sure what is wrong with your friend, but... he seems to be in a state similar to that of a coma."  
  
"Youji's not injured anywhere, is he?"  
  
"Iie. No internal or external injuries, so I'm not sure how he even got to this state." The three Weiss members became slightly discouraged by the report. The doctor sighed, brushing her hair behind her ears.  
  
"This is only a theory, but – I think there might be something more than physical disability..."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Maybe... there's a greater power in this incident. Somehow I don't believe a person could just fall into coma without any serious injuries or alcohol consummation." Aya, Ken and Omi looked at each other, rather confused by the theory the doctor presented them. The woman sighed, saying that even if that was just theory, there was nothing she could do for Youji. The three agreed, glancing at the floor.  
  
Crawford nodded his head to Schuldig, meaning it was time they went; Schuldig hummed, moving away from the wall. The two walked down the hospital hall out to the parking lot. Crawford started the car and drove off.  
  
Schuldig sat still, gazing out the window, watching the rain drops splash against the glass. He was disturbingly quiet for the ride; Crawford glanced briefly at the redhead, looking back to the road.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"Betsuni..." Schuldig replied automatically.  
  
"You sure? You seem awfully quiet." The car fell silent; Schuldig stared out the window, resting his chin on his hand. Crawford waited, wondering if the redhead would speak anymore; he decided that Schuldig wasn't speaking, putting his full attention back to the road.  
  
"Actually... I've been thinking..."  
  
"So there is something on your mind."  
  
"You know how I said that Kudou's mind was completely blank?" Crawford hummed his response, nodding his head a little.  
  
"So?"  
  
"I have a theory – as a mind reader – someone can't be alive, if they don't have any thoughts. If your brain is dead, then how can it process even subconscious thoughts. Kudou was blank, no sense of thoughts at all – he couldn't have been alive."  
  
"I checked him over twice and the doctor did too... he's still breathing and his pulse is quite steady. Explain that." Crawford pointed out. Schuldig remained silent, staring out at the rain through the window.  
  
"... I don't know." He finally replied; Crawford hummed, pulling his full attention back to the road. Schuldig sat still in silence; his mind began to wonder and think about Youji's condition right now. He looked down at his hand, noticing he had slight burns; for moment Schuldig wondered where he could have gotten them, but it quickly came to him. When he had tried to get into Youji's mind, he was zapped and sent flying back; that's probably where the burns came from.  
  
// Is there – really a higher power involved in this? //  
  
The rain began to pour harder then before; Crawford slowed down his speed a little, the rain being too heavy for the windshield wipers to wipe off.  
  
// If Kudou's body is still alive and functioning – why does he have no thoughts? //  
  
Thunder and lightening clashed together across the sky; the storm was very close that taller buildings were shaking a little.  
  
// What if... it's Kudou's soul that is dead, but somehow his body remained alive? //  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The doctor made a quick run through the rooms, making sure everything and the patients were alright. Feeling satisfied with the check, she headed down to Youji's room. His friends had left an hour ago, but the lights were still on; she turned them off, seeing that everything was okay and closed the door.  
  
After a few minutes had passed, the window, just across the room slide open, a shadowed figure stepping inside. The figure shook itself dry, closing the window to keep the wind and rain out. A single, yellow amber eye searched the room, resting on the body lying in the bed. Farafello smiled, walking over to the bed; he came to quite a surprise that it was one of the Weiss.  
  
"Had a little accident – Weiss." Farafello asked to no one in particular; Youji remained still. Farafello took out his knife, running a finger along the blade. He brought the tip to the blond's face, applying pressure as he slid it along down the cheek. It cut open, blood starting to drip from the wound.  
  
Farafello's smile widened at the sight, but it soon disappeared as he watched the wound heal itself. He stared in slight confusion, running his knife along Youji's cheek once more – the wound closed up again. Farafello stood back, staring at the blond lying asleep in the bed.  
  
// I wonder... //  
  
Farafello raised his knife above his head, bringing it down into the blond's chest; Youji didn't flinch once. He pulled his knife out, watching the wound close itself up. Farafello could only stare at the feat, not understanding why the blond's body was able to heal.  
  
// He hasn't – found immortality, has he? //  
  
Farafello thought about it; his mind began to wonder back to his childhood, how he remembered the teachings about God and the great feats he has done in the bible.  
  
// Is God protecting him? A sinner as him? Why? Why are you protecting him? //  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Woah... long chapt. Sorry about that, but I needed to get everything in before I move on... anyways, next chapt should be a little shorter... hope you'll all enjoyed reading it! ^^;; I'll try to get the rest of the stuff up soon... but for now! Ja ne~  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	2. Chapter 2: Finally Awaken

Yoho minna-san!! Well, this isn't much shorter then last chapt. (only by a page *sweatdrop* ) Gomen, chapters should be shorter in the future so ppl don't have to read some much and get an overload like I do sometimes. @.@  
  
Anyways – ENJOY! *smile*  
  
Warnings: Maybe shounen-ai  
  
Pairing(s): Secret for now  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Ne, Mari-chan can you help a sec?" Mari blinked, standing up from her desk. She followed the other nurse to a room, where two men had just laid a patient on the bed.  
  
"Everything else is done. All that's left is just hooking him to the equipment."  
  
"Hai, we'll take care of him." The men just nodded their heads and left, leaving Mari and the other nurse to finish the job.  
  
"Saa – Mari-chan, let's get to work."  
  
"Uh – hai." Mari walked over the bed, helping the other nurse hook up the wires and turn on the monitor. The stead blimp of the patient's heartbeat sounded through the room. Mari stared at the man sleeping in the bed, glancing at his heart monitor.  
  
"Ikimasho."  
  
"A-aa." Mari followed the other nurse of the out, briefly looking back at the patient in the bed. She shook her head, quietly closing the door behind her and ran a little to catch up with the other nurse.  
  
"Ne, Towa? Who is he?" Towa stopped, looking at the younger nurse with blank eyes.  
  
"He's a transfer from another hospital."  
  
"Transfer? How come?" Mari asked, curious as to who the man was and why he had been transferred to their hospital. Towa turned around, saying she will explain what she knows once they were seated; Mari nodded, following in silence after her. Once they reached the office, Towa sat down at her desk, and began filing through the papers the men had given her before they left.  
  
"Now – why was he transferred?"  
  
"Whoever was paying the guy's hospital bills seems to have a lot of money to waste. Whoever it was, was paying more then what was needed; the previous hospital just feared corruption among the staff." Towa explained, not once looking up from her papers. Mari hummed, pulling a chair up next to the older nurse's desk. The two sat in silence for several minutes, before Mari started to talk again.  
  
"The patient... he's actually kind of cute." Mari blushed, staring at her hands on her lap; she heard Towa giggling a little, feeling her face heat up more.  
  
"Yeah, he is. Though don't expect to know him anytime soon..." Towa stated, shifting the papers neatly together, before putting them in a folder and placed it in a cabinet. Mari looked up at her with a confused expression.  
  
"How come?"  
  
"His records says he's in a coma... he's been like that for 8 years now." Mari's eyes widened at the information.  
  
"Hontou ka? That's kind of sad – that means his been asleep since a teen." Towa paused her shifting of paper, staring at the space in front of her. Mari became curious, wondering why the older nurse had stopped her work.  
  
"Actually, that man... hasn't aged in 8 years..."  
  
"Nani ka?" Mari asked, not really understanding what Towa was trying to get at. Towa sighed, turning around in her chair to face the younger nurse.  
  
"His record shows he was comatose at age 21 – since then, he's been sleeping for 8 years."  
  
"2-21?! He looks so young though!! He should be about 28 now, right?" Mari stood up from her chair in surprise, leaning one hand on the desk. Towa stared up at her for several minutes, before turning back to her work; Mari sat back down on the chair, taking in a deep breath.  
  
"They say it could be special genes... but, the first entry on his record – written by the first doctor who tended him – wrote about a theory..."  
  
"A theory?"  
  
"She believed there might have been a greater power – something that is keeping his body young..." Towa avoided all eye contact with Mari, turning to her computer screen to input bits of data on to the database. Mari stared at her with wide eyes, turning her gaze to the cabinet where Towa had placed the man's records.  
  
// A greater power? Spiritual power? //  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Mari opened the window, letting in a bit of fresh air; she gazed out for a few moments, glancing back at the blond sleeping in the bed. She couldn't help but think about what Towa had said about him.  
  
// Coma for 8 years... that's a long time for a person. //  
  
Mari went over to the bed, searching for the board which usually held some information about the patient. She found it hanging on the end of the bed.  
  
"Kudou, Youji... so that's your name." Mari asked to no one, glancing at Youji's still body. She put the board back, quietly walking out of the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
A light gush of wind blew through the window, blowing small strands of blond hair across Youji's face. A small leaf flutter through the open space, gently hitting him against the neck; Youji's hand twitched a little, the tip of his fingers jerking just so slightly.  
  
A quarter way around the world, Youji's slight movement abruptly had woken someone from slumber. Blue eyes snapped wide open, before narrowing a bit, a smirk spreading across the face.  
  
// So... he's finally waking up? //  
  
He got out of bed, walking over to the closet and began picking things out.  
  
// I wonder when the next closest flight to Japan is? //  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The clock was slowly ticking towards 11pm, the hospital halls were relatively empty. Four nurses were behind the reception desk, talking to pass the time away; they didn't notice the sounds of light footsteps coming towards them.  
  
"Suimimasen." Nurses stopped talking, looking to the person. It was a man who looked much younger then he was; he had about shoulder length black hair. He wore semi-formal pants and a jacket, that could pass off as casual or formal depending on how it was wore, and a white shirt underneath. Dark shades hid his eyes.  
  
"H-hai? Can we help you?" One of the nurses asked nervously, a faint blush spreading across her face. The man nodded, pulling off his shades.  
  
"I'm visiting someone – Kudou, Youji?"  
  
"H-h-hai! His room is down the hall, sixth door to the left."  
  
"Arigatou." He put his glasses back on, and walked down the hallway towards Youji's room. The other nurses crowded around the front, watching the dark- haired man disappear down the hallway.  
  
"Ne, who do you think he is?"  
  
"I don't know, but... I wonder what kind of relation he has with the man."  
  
"It doesn't matter – he's hot!"  
  
~~*~~  
  
Schuldig closed the door behind, leaning against it as he stared at the blond, sleeping in the bed. He took off his shades, placing them in the pocket of his shirt and walked over to the bed, standing by the edge. He looked down at Youji with a hopeful expression, gently brushing away strands of blond hair from the blond's face.  
  
He searched around the room, finding a stool in the corner. He dragged it over to the bed, seating himself down and he prepared to wait, glancing at the clock briefly. Outside, a clock tower nearby, rang eleven strokes, proclaiming it to be 11 o'clock at night now.  
  
// Hayaku, Youji... wake up soon... //  
  
Schuldig closed his eyes, trying to see if he could say it the blond's mind, but a sharp light flashed in his mind, making him jerk back a little. Schuldig rubbed his head, trying to ease the pain.  
  
// Not yet, ne? Hayaku... a lot has change since 8 years... //  
  
Letting out a sigh, Schuldig prepared to wait for no matter how long it took the blond to wake up. The second ticked by, slowly becoming minutes; a few occasions Schuldig thought he was going to doze off, but managed to shake himself awake. A few times, he would notice Youji's fingers, and sometimes eyebrows, would twitch a little, as if trying to force his life back.  
  
// Almost there, Youji... hayaku!! //  
  
As the three minutes till midnight slowly passed away, Schuldig sat thinking more and more on how he would present the changes to the blond once he was awake. He decided to do it lightly, for an odd reason, feeling a need to protect Youji from the changes of the past. Just as Schuldig reached his hand out to touch Youji's, the clock tower outside began to chime, beginning the midnight announcement.  
  
Schuldig pulled his hand back, watching as with each stroke, Youji stirred more and more. Finally the twelfth stroke and Youji laid still again; Schuldig watched, the blond making slight noises as he slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the dark ceiling.  
  
"It's about time you woke up! I thought I was going to pass out sleeping waiting on you!" Youji's eyes widened at the voice, sitting upright on the bed. He stared in slight confusion at the dark-haired man sitting next to the bed; he couldn't help but feel the man was familiar, but the looks were all off.  
  
"Don't blink at me like you don't know me..."  
  
"Masaka... Sch..." Youji paused, unsure if he really should guess the name or not.  
  
"Schuldig? At least you remembered." The now raven-head replied with a smirk. He stood up from the stool, going over to the turn the lights on. Youji winced as the lights came on, covering his closed eyes with his hands.  
  
"Sorry – that's what you get for waking up in the middle of the night." Schuldig teased, making his way back to the bed. Youji removed his hands, still keeping his eyes closed; he waited till he had fully adjusted to the light, before attempting to open his eyes. Once he could see without it hurting, he turned to look at Schuldig more carefully.  
  
"Since when...?" Youji started, trailing off in his question. Schuldig ran a hand through his short hair, brushing it to the side.  
  
"Figured I could use a change – just a cut and coloring... nothing special."  
  
"Certainly surprised me..." Youji mumbled under his breath, a slight pout on his face. Schuldig snickered lightly, sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning close to Youji. The blond leaned away, unable to stop the blush from showing itself on his face; it made the raven-head smirk.  
  
"A lot has changed, Youji... I'll tell you now – Weiss and Schwarz don't exist anymore."  
  
"Nan? Why? What happened? What happened to me?" The last question got Schuldig's interest, staring curiously at the blond. He leaned forward more, close enough to Youji's face, making the blond's blush deepen.  
  
"You don't know what happened?" He asked plainly; Youji blinked, slowly shaking his head. Schuldig let out a low hum, moving away from the blond and stood to his feet. He carefully pushed Youji back down on the bed, pulling the covers over him; the younger man stared in surprise at him.  
  
"Get some real sleep now – I'll tell you tomorrow when I register you out of here."  
  
"But..." Schuldig waved his hand over Youji's face, bringing it down slowly as if he was closing the blond's eyes.  
  
// Sleep... //  
  
Youji's eyes fell shut, his head tilting to the side as he fell into slumber. Schuldig pulled back stray strands away from Youji's face, pulling the covers up higher to keep the blond warm. He walked towards the door, turning off the lights, looking back over his shoulder briefly.  
  
"See you in the morning."  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Yeah! Minna-san made it to the bottom!!  
  
Uh, yeah – that was Schuldig with the dark, short hair and stuff... *ducks* Don't kill me!! It's 8 years in the future –what can you expect!!! *ducks under desk* Anyways, pls review – it would be appreciated! (Critics are open too.)  
  
Till next time!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	3. Chapter 3: Secret of Weiss Part I

Yoho! Sorry I haven't updated for a while. ^^;; I'm kind of going through a writing depression thingy right now, so I'm kind of out of it. Also, school without a free is really tying me down! And exams are coming up soon. *Sighs*  
  
Anyways, here's the next chapter to Wish and Nagi gets to appear!! (Yeah) Another ppl from 8 years ago besides Schuldig!  
  
Enjoy~!  
  
Warnings: Maybe Shounen-ai in future  
  
Pairing: Hell, why keep it a secret – it's becoming obvious by now I believe...  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji followed silently behind Schuldig, as the raven-head led him out of the hospital. As said, Schuldig came by in the morning, registered him out of the hospital care, paid the bills and now they were heading towards the car park.  
  
"Until you are used to the changes, you are not to go anywhere without me, understood?"  
  
"Hai..." Youji answered meekly; it felt a little strange to be taken care of by enemy – ex-enemy now. Youji sat quietly during the car ride, staring down at his hands on his lap; he only half listened to Schuldig rant about the new dangers in Japan and new advances made in recent years. Schuldig stopped talking, seeing that only half of his words were being listened to; he tried to regain Youji's attention.  
  
"Tell me, how much do you remember?" The blond blinked, turning his head to face the redhead.  
  
"From when?"  
  
"Anytime. Anytime up to your coma. What happened?" Schuldig clarified, never once taking his eyes away from the road. Youji looked back in front of him, eyes staring blankly at the dash board in front of him. Schuldig stepped into the blond's mind, seeing the confusion and memories before he and Crawford had found him in the church. An image of a bright light flashed briefly in Youji's mind and in Schuldig's before everything went blank.  
  
"You really don't remember how you came to a coma." Schuldig stated, pulling himself out of the younger man's mind. Youji blinked, turning his head back to face the raven-head.  
  
"I don't – Schuldig, tell me what happened to my teammates, your teammates – Onegai!" Youji pleaded, his voice almost sounding on the verge of crying. Schuldig glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, surprised by the amazing innocence of the blond.  
  
"Not here – I'll explain when we get to the hotel." Youji remained quiet verbally, but Schuldig easily picked his mental whines in his head. He promised again later and asked Youji to pay attention to his scenery. Youji sighed and turned to stare out the window, eyes widening at the sights he was seeing.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"They didn't have separate rooms, so we'll have to share a bed – if you don't mind?" Schuldig asked, pausing in his steps; Youji didn't hear him. The blond was too fixated in taking in every detail of the large, well lavished room. Schuldig lightly tapped Youji on the head, repeating his question.  
  
"Iie! I don't mind..." A slight blush appeared on Youji's face, but Schuldig passed it off as nothing major. He walked towards a couch in the middle of the room, taking off his jacket along the way; Schuldig sat himself down on the soft cushion of the couch, leaning his head back. He noticed that Youji was still standing in at the doorway, looking around quite uneasily of the place.  
  
"Take a seat, Youji. It won't matter..." The blond blinked, before finally moving away from his spot, sitting himself next to Schuldig on the couch, a bit further away from the raven-head though. A silence passed between them; Schuldig stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"Ano..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Tell me what happened? To Weiss... to Schwarz... to everyone..." Schuldig brought his head back up, staring at the blond sitting to his left. He ran a hand briefly through short, black hair, letting out a sigh before facing Youji.  
  
"As far as Weiss is concern – I don't know what happened to them. As for my team – Crawford's dead, Farafello disappeared to Ireland and Nagi is still in Japan."  
  
"Sou... ka..." Youji's words shook a little, his bottom lip quivering a little in slight fear. Schuldig noticed the small things, hearing the blond's fears in his head. He reached a hand out to gently pull back strands of blond hair away from Youji's face; the action startled Youji and he jerked away, staring at the dark-haired man with wide eyes.  
  
"Gomen... I think Nagi might know what happened to Weiss. He's been in Japan longer then I have for the past 6 years."  
  
"Take me to him!" Youji asked, the question coming out more as a demand then a question. Schuldig shook his head, pointing out the window on the other side of the room. The hotel had been a long way away from the hospital Youji had been at, and practically more then half of the day had been spent driving. The sun was beginning to set, going from late afternoon into early evening.  
  
"Nagi lives in a very bad part of town – it's too dangerous to look for him while it's dark." Schuldig explained, turning to look back at Youji. The blond had a slight angered expression on his face, which softened to a more pained feeling. Schuldig reached a hand out, gently placing it on Youji's head; to his surprise, the blond didn't jerk or shake it off.  
  
"You want to get some dinner soon? You haven't eaten anything since you woke up, you've got to be hunger." Schuldig asked, not removing his hand from Youji's head. The blond looked up into blue eyes, unsure of what he was searching for or why he was even searching. Youji opened his mouth a little to say something, but nothing came out; he tilted his head down again.  
  
"... I guess so..." He mumbled; Schuldig smiled a little, removing his hand from the younger man's head. He stood up to his feet, staring down at Youji with a slight grin.  
  
"Good, say maybe in an hour or so we see what this hotel has to offer. I've never been here before, but a friend said it was good." Youji only hummed, staying seated on the couch. Schuldig shrugged his shoulders lightly, letting out a sigh. He looked around noticing the small amount of luggage he had brought with him was already here. He made a mental note of the service before going over to unpack the bare needs for the night and tomorrow morning.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The morning sun's rays shined down lightly through partially closed curtains, shining against Youji's face. The blond made small noises in his sleep, before slowly opening his eyes to the light. He blinked a few minutes, wondering where he was and why he felt very strange at the moment – and a little empty.  
  
Youji sat up in the bed, staring out through the small opening in the curtains, staring out in to the day ahead of him. He then looked down at the bed, his mind somehow telling him that someone was missing. Youji jumped at Schuldig's voice behind him.  
  
"Glad to see you woke up. Have a nice sleep?" Youji turned his head around to see Schuldig leaning over the back of the couch, resting his chin on his arms. Youji blinked a bit, looking at the bed and then to Schuldig, opening his mouth but never really saying anything.  
  
"To let you know, you were restless in your sleep last night and you started to kick me – so I moved to the sofa." Schuldig simply stated, turning around to sit probably on the couch. Youji felt a slight blush appear on his face, glad that the raven-head had turned away.  
  
"Gomen nasai." Schuldig hummed, stretching his arms over his head. He was only a tad bit annoyed that he had been kicked out of bed – unintentionally of course, but he still woke up with a slight ache in his neck. He stood up to his feet, heading towards the small closet where he had placed his suitcase in.  
  
"If you need to wash up, go ahead. We'll go for breakfast in a bit and then go find Nagi – sounds good?"  
  
"Ah... hai." Youji replied with a bit of a waver; he got out of the bed, and made his way over to the bathroom, running the water and began to wash his face.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji sat silently in the car, staring at the dash broad in front of him. Schuldig remained quiet as well, letting the blond think about things for a bit, before explaining the eight years that had passed. The whole trip remained silent till Schuldig stopped the car, cutting the engine. Youji turned his head to the raven-head and blinked.  
  
"I'll feel better if I leave her here... Like I said, it's a really bad town now over there." Schuldig explained; Youji hummed his response, unbuckling his seat belt and stepped out. Once both were out of the car, Schuldig locked it, pocketing the keys protectively in his jacket. He signaled for Youji to follow him, the younger man shyly walking behind him.  
  
The further they went into town, the darker, gloomier and even scarier the buildings became. Many were grey and rundown, it made Youji wonder how anyone was even managing to live here. Of the few people he saw, most were dressed either up for pay or gangsters; Youji felt a bad memory raise in his head, subconsciously reaching for Schuldig's hand. The raven-head jerked a little, startled by the sudden contact.  
  
"Gomen... I'm just..." Schuldig took Youji's hand in his again, holding it tight in his grasp.  
  
"It's okay – yeah, this part is pretty scary for a first timer." Youji felt himself blush a little, but was glad for the small comfort of hope, just by holding the older man's hand. After walking for what seemed like an hour, a ring of gangsters circled around the two, each with a weapon of some sort in their hands. Youji tightened his hand around Schuldig's, pulling it out to hold in self-defense, but Schuldig pulled him back.  
  
:: It's alright – this people have a link to Nagi... Just let me handle it. ::  
  
Schuldig stated mentally, answering the questioning gaze the blond gave him. Youji nodded, coming very close behind the older man for security sake. Schuldig simply stand still as the men close the circle tighter around the two.  
  
"You either run or you fight – either way, you're just as dead." One man in the circle said; Schuldig ran his free hand through his bangs, looking around the circle of men.  
  
"If you don't mind, I'm looking for someone – I believe you know him. Searching for someone once known as Naoe, Nagi." The men blinked a moment, before most of them glared, tightening their hold on their weapons.  
  
"Hell is he? Don't know anyone by that name!! Don't go pissing us off!!!"  
  
"What is going on here?" A different voice sounded from outside the ring. The gang members disperse, creating an opening to allow the owner of the voice to be seen. Youji took a chance to peek, staring at a man maybe around 22 or 23; he had brown hair, half of his face covered with long bangs, shadowing his eye. He wore all black, making it difficult to make every detail of the outfit. Youji blinked for the longest time, unsure why he seemed to think he should know the man standing there; he heard Schuldig chuckle, waving a hand in the air to the stranger.  
  
"See you haven't changed one bit – Nagi." Youji's eyes widened, his jaw dropping slightly. The gang members glanced at each other confusingly, wondering why the raven-head was referring to their leader as 'Nagi' or who this 'Nagi' even was. Though the leader didn't seem to mind; instead a grin spread across his face.  
  
"Good to see you too, Schuldig. It's been a while, hasn't it?"  
  
"Only about 6 years since I left." Nagi grinned wider, dismissing his gang before directing full attention to his ex-teammate. Nagi noticed the blond man standing behind, holding the raven-head's hand; Nagi stared longer, before his teal blue eyes widened in recognition.  
  
"Kudou, Youji!!" He yelled out; Youji stepped out from behind Schuldig, unsure what to do with his hands, so he left them at his sides. Nagi walked towards him, stopping just in front of the blond; though he wasn't as tall as Youji was, Nagi still grew to be pretty tall. Nagi reached a hand out carefully for Youji's face, the blond jerking slightly when he tried to touch. Nagi pulled back a little, but reached again, gently grasping the blond's chin, turning his face left and right, up and down.  
  
"...He's the real thing." Nagi finally said, releasing Youji's chin. The blond blinked in confusion at what the younger man said, unsure what the brunet meant by 'the real thing'. Schuldig cleared his throat, interrupting the silence.  
  
"This isn't something to discuss in the open, remember?"  
  
"I remember... follow me." Nagi turned around, signaling for Schuldig and Youji to follow him. Youji frowned a bit, reluctant to move; however he moved when Schuldig started to follow after the man. Youji reached his hand out to grab Schuldig's again, but stopped, retracting it back to his side; he wasn't sure whether it was appropriate now to do that. Schuldig sensed the action in his mind, reaching back for the blond's hand; Youji blushed a little, trying to pull his hand back. The raven-head held tight.  
  
:: I don't mind and Nagi doesn't care... ::  
  
Youji blinked, gazing after Schuldig as he led him to wherever Nagi was taking them. Youji let his hand relax in Schuldig's, following the two ex- Schwarz members to wherever was considered private.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Sorry it came out a little long – sort of lost track of what I was writing. Well, hope you all enjoyed this chapter – next chapter you'll all find out what happened to the rest of Weiss after the 8 years Youji's soul was away! (oh and if proof-reading sucks – sorry, I'm tired and not paying attention to what I'm typing)  
  
Pls review – be much appreciated!! Thank you all for reading!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	4. Chapter 4: Secret of Weiss Part II

* * *

Yoho!! Minna-san!! I'm really getting into this one, so for now, I'll just work on this fic for a while... you'll all find out more about what happened to Weiss and how Youji has to deal now!  
  
Well, Enjoy now!  
  
Warnings: Shounen-ai hints????  
  
Pairing: If you guys haven't figured it out yet... you're dense! (joking)  
  
Rating: PG-13

* * *

Nagi lead them inside a building that looked a little bit neater and more maintained than most of the other buildings in the neighbor hood. He led them to a room near the top floor, holding the door open to them; the room was thread-bear, the only furniture being three, black leather couches.  
  
"Make yourselves comfortable..." Schuldig nodded, still leading Youji inside by the hand; he made the blond sit down on one of the couches, the material squeaking underneath him. Schuldig sat down next to him, sitting close to him that their shoulders were touching; it made Youji feel a little uncomfortable, but he remained quiet. Nagi sat on the opposite couch, leaning back in his seat and crossed his legs out of habit; it became evident that this room was used for big meetings. An uncomfortable silence hung between the three of them, Youji shifting in his seat.  
  
"So...Schuldig, when did Youji wake up?"  
  
"Two nights, midnight. I felt him – that's how I knew he was going to wake up soon." Youji shifted in his seat, feeling uneasy on how he was being talked about. He felt, in a way, left out, as though he was still in the coma. Nagi turned to Youji, uncrossing his legs and sitting forward on the couch.  
  
"I take it, there's a reason why you want to see me, Youji?" The blond blinked at the sudden directness the brunet had turned on him.  
  
"I... Weiss..." Youji couldn't form his questions; no matter how much he wanted to ask about Aya, about Omi, about Ken – what had happened, where did they go, were they still alive – he couldn't form the words to ask them. Despite the two words, Nagi understood.  
  
"Who do you want to know about first? Omi? Ken? Aya?"  
  
"Omi? Tell me about Omi!!" Nagi stared at him for a moment, before letting out a sigh, leaning back into his seat. Youji felt a shadow of doubt fall over him at the response he received from the younger man.  
  
"You don't want to know what happened to Omi..."  
  
"Naze ka? Why won't tell me?? At least let me know where he is!!" Youji stood to his feet, feeling Schuldig pull on his arm to seat him back down on the couch. Nagi sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"I can tell you where you can find Omi... But it'll be regretted..." A slight surprised expression appeared on Youji's face, before a small hint of a smile appeared in its place. He sat intently, listening to every detail and direction Nagi gave him to find at least one of his friends.

* * *

Youji felt panicked as he ran through the gloomy area, slowing to stop once he reached the destination of Nagi's directions. He had been happy until he and Schuldig had reached the entrance – it was then he panicked and felt fear. Youji stared at the ground in front of him, feeling his knees give way to the pain rising in his chest; he collapsed to the ground. Schuldig came up behind him, placing his hands in his pocket and stood there is silence with the blond.  
  
"...You knew this, didn't you?" Youji finally spoke up, tears streaming heavily down his face; the raven-head sighed, taking his hands out of his pockets, placing one on the blond's shoulder. Youji jerked out of the touch, turning to face Schuldig with an angry expression, tears still streaming down his face.  
  
"You knew along!! Why didn't you tell me?? Why didn't you tell me he was... he was..."  
  
"...Dead?" Youji cringed at the word, turning back to gaze at the black marble stone, characters deeply engraved on the front surface. Youji's hands tightened into fists, his teeth clenching shut at the pain.  
  
"...Why..."  
  
"Would you have believed even if I did tell you?!" Schuldig demanded, raising his voice unintentionally; Youji relaxed, thinking a moment before slowly shaking his head. Schuldig calmed down a little, letting the blond sit there for a while before he helped Youji to his feet, leading him back to the car.  
  
He settled Youji in the passenger's side, getting in the driver's side; he didn't start, noticing Youji was still crying. Letting out a sigh, Schuldig reached into his pocket, pulling out a clean handkerchief, leaning over to gently wipe away the younger man's tears. Finally Youji stopped his tears and Schuldig started to drive away from the graveyard. A few minutes had passed before Youji was able to find his voice again.  
  
"What happened to Omi? How did he... die?"  
  
"Not sure... I've only heard rumors, and those say he killed himself about 2 years ago."  
  
"Killed himself? B-but... but why?" Schuldig mumbled something under his breath, barely audible, but it was enough to catch Youji's attention. He turned his head to face the raven-head driving.  
  
"Don't hide it from me!! Even if it's just a rumor, why would Omi kill himself?! He has no reason too!!"  
  
"...Crawford." Jade green eyes widened in confusion, unsure of why the name was suddenly brought up in the subject.  
  
"I'll explain – somehow Crawford and Omi became business partners – not sure how, but it happened. The kid seemed to really look up to him for some reason..." Youji listened as Schuldig began to tell about the years he had missed – the years he not lived for 8 years. Other then Omi and Crawford working together in business, something had happened and Crawford disappeared. People assume he's dead, but there hasn't been a body found, so it was unknown for sure whether or not the man was still alive.  
  
"Apparently it was after Crawford had disappeared, Omi died. Rumors say he killed himself – how it came about? Someone else in the building heard a gun shot and rushed to the source, finding Omi dead and a gun in his hand." Youji gripped the side of the car door, biting down on his lower lip to keep from crying. Schuldig heard the blond's thoughts, letting out a sigh and concentrated on driving.  
  
Nothing you can do for him... not yet, at least...   
  
The ride remained silent, with only Youji's thoughts being Schuldig only noise in the car. After some time, the younger man's thoughts lightened, still in pain at the discovery of Omi's death, but slowly beginning to cope with it. Finally, Youji released the door side, staring back at the road in front of them; he then got curious, seeing that Schuldig was taking him down a road that wasn't familiar.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"To see Ken..." Youji's eyes widened, turning his head to face the raven- head; Schuldig kept his eyes on the road, his face oddly expressionless since Youji's awaken. Youji sat silently, turning his attention back to the road, inwardly jumpy a little that Ken was still alive. Schuldig picked up on the blond's thoughts, finding them a bit too happy for the situation Ken Hidaka had ended up in.  
  
:: Don't get too excited – the Ken you knew isn't him anymore... ::  
  
Youji blinked, again turning his head to glance at the older man; he began to doubt everything all over again, just as Nagi had told him he'd regret seeing Omi again. He had the faint feeling he'd regret seeing Ken as well.

* * *

Schuldig led him through the darken hallway, dim hanging lights about three feet apart of each other were the only source of light in the whole building. Youji felt scared all over again, worrying quite a bit when he noticed this was an asylum. The raven-head stopped at one door at the very end of the hall, turning to face Youji.  
  
"Don't talk to him... don't even say your name..." Youji felt a bit confused and a little hurt, but he nodded his head in agreement. Schuldig placed his hand on the knob, turning it and opening the door with a slight creek; he stepped in, signaling the blond to follow him slowly. Youji held his arms, following in after the raven-head; he searched around the room once he stepped in. It was fairly small, only consisting of a bed, a chair and a small side table with an old lamp; across the room was a small window, bars leaving only enough space to place a hand through. There, Youji noticed someone standing there, staring out into the late afternoon sky.  
  
"K..." Schuldig held his hand up, reminding Youji to keep quiet; the younger man paused, closing his mouth again. Schuldig stepped in further in the room, his footsteps stirring Ken from his trance.  
  
"You haven't been standing there all day, have you?" Schuldig asked, now standing in the middle of the room; Ken shook his head, but Schuldig knew he was lying. He hadn't moved from the spot since two days ago. The older man sighed, coming up behind Ken to brush back now long, brown bangs from his face.  
  
"It's not healthy for you to do that... You at least need to move, and eat a little bit."  
  
"I've... been eating... just... not whole lot..." Youji placed a hand over his mouth to keep from making any noise; he felt pain at the way Ken talked – it was uneven and very slow and broken.  
  
Ken reached a hand for Schuldig's, a small smile appearing on his face. Schuldig sensed the slight peace in the brunet's mind, knowing that it had been a while since he last visited Ken.  
  
"I'm... glad you... came by... Schul..." Ken had turned around to face the raven- head, but paused in his speech when he noticed someone else was there with them. He noticed Youji standing in the doorway, his eyes widening to near impossible size. Schuldig sensed the sudden panic in the younger man's mind, quickly turning to face Ken's line of vision, seeing he was staring at Youji.  
  
"I-iie... masaka... it can't be..." Ken released Schuldig's hand, wrapping his arms around him as he slowly backed away. Schuldig tried to calm him down, gently grasping his shoulders. Youji moved to take a step forward, but stepped back instead, seeing a sudden black shadow emitting from the brunet's body.  
  
"K'so!! Ken – calm down!!"  
  
"IYA!! It's not possible!!" Ken jerked out of Schuldig's hold, banging himself against the wall of the room, trying to find anything to distract him from the feeling rising throughout his body. Youji stood in panic, watching with helplessness at his friend's behavior. Schuldig made a grab with one hand for the brunet's face in a firm, but gentle hold.  
  
"Ken, calm down!!" Tears streamed down Ken's face, his breathing coming in sharp; the shadows disappeared from around him, collapsing into the raven- head's arms. Youji now understood why Schuldig had told him not to speak – it probably would have made the situation even worse.  
  
"...It can't be..." Ken sobbed; Schuldig hushed him, placing a tender hand over the younger man's eyes.  
  
"It's alright... it's all gone now – sleep..." Ken's head nodded off to the side, his slow, steady breathing indicated he was asleep. Youji watched as Schuldig carried Ken to the bed, tucking the brunet comfortable under the sheets. He headed towards the door, past Youji, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder.  
  
:: Iku zo... ::  
  
Youji stood for a moment longer, gazing at Ken sleeping in the bed; he felt his pain worsen, slowly following after Schuldig.

* * *

Wai! Such a sad happenings!! Well – at least I kept Ken alive... sweatdrop Well... nah, won't let the secret out yet... Thank you for reading – hope to see you all next time!! JA!  
  
Hikari!! (Hikari12) 


	5. Chapter 5: Chance Meeting?

WAIII!!! I thought I put this up ages ago!!! GOMEN NASAI!!!! Well, anyways, back to school – I'M A SENIOR!! YAY!!! Well, at least till the end of the semester – till then, I have to look for colleges to apply to!!! . Well, sorry again for not putting this up – my bad! Enjoy!!

Anyways, nuf of my ranting – enjoy!

Warnings: Shounen-ai, bad ontakes of pretear!! XD

Pairings: Schuldig x Youji

Rating: PG-13

Key: Mondo italic = flashback sequence

* * *

The entire ride back to the hotel had been in complete silence; Youji hadn't said a single word since they stepped out of the asylum. Schuldig let the younger man pondered about the incident, knowing that the blond was in terrible pain right now. He didn't step into Youji's head, he didn't need to – the thoughts came to him.

Youji replayed over and over the scene he had witness back in the small room; he wondered how Ken even came to be that way, and why a black shadow suddenly surrounded him when he saw Youji. He wondered if the shadow had anything to do with Ken's current state of mind. Youji pondered a bit more in silence, before deciding that he wanted answers – and he knew this time, Schuldig would be truthful with him.

"Why is he like that? How did he end up in a place like that??"

"The shadow you saw – it is related to his present state. It was only a small amount of the darkness that is inside him."

"...Darkness?" Youji questioned, glancing at the raven-head with curious eyes. Schuldig nodded his head, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. He didn't want to tell the blond, not yet – but Youji had gotten too curious and the pain only seemed to double of what was there caused by the finding of Omi's death.

"About 3 years ago, I'm not even sure what happened, Ken suddenly just gave himself up to darkness..."

_****Thunder clashed outside the building, rain beginning to pour down to the earth. Ken had just made it inside an abandon church, walking towards the altar. Lightening flashed through the stain glass window, the sound of the rain drowning those into pain and sorrow._

_= Youji... where did you go? Why did you leave? =_

_Lightening flashed again, a second shadow appearing next to Ken's for as long as the flash lasted. Ken's hands curled into fists, unsure of who to blame for the loss of his friends, but he seemed to have found someone to curse._

_= If this is all this world is... I don't want it. If everyone so close to me should die – everything should just disappear! =_

_Lightening flashed again, the second shadow appearing – only this time, it stayed next to Ken's. It slowly raised from the ground, engulfing Ken within itself, merging into one being the more negative his thoughts became._

"_I don't want it!"_

_The church doors bursted open, Schuldig and Ran running through the entrance._

"_KEN!!"_

_Ken turned around to face them, the shadow that merged with him, darkened every detail of his body and face. The glow of his eyes gave little to show. Ran and Schuldig moved to stop him, but Ken easily struck them down with just the movement of his hand._ ****

Youji stared with slightly wide eyes at the raven-head, unable to believe that Ken would give himself up that easily – but after what he had seen, he couldn't not believe. Schuldig didn't look away from the road in front of him once, keeping his full focus on driving them back to the hotel.

"Believe what you want – just give it some thought and try not to let it bother you too much. If you need help, I'm here." Youji nodded with a hum, staring down at the dashboard in front of him, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. Schuldig let out a silent sigh to himself, letting the younger blond's thoughts penetrate into his mind; it was better to know what he was thinking and able to help, rather not know and not be able to help at all.

= _Just a bit more time... I guess..._ =

"Ano... what about Aya?" Schuldig blinked a moment, having been concentrating on his thoughts. He processed Youji's question for moment before finally answering him.

"I don't know... and that is truth. Nagi doesn't know either, so it won't do any good to ask him." Schuldig added, picking up on the blond's thoughts; Youji looked at him briefly, letting out a hum and stared back at the dashboard. Schuldig sighed silently again, pulling his concentration back to driving. The remainder of the ride was spent in absolute silence.

* * *

Schuldig walked out of the bathroom into the main room, drying his short black hair with a towel. He searched around the dimly lit room, eyeing Youji sitting on the bed, knees to his chest and staring out the windows. He was still awake, Schuldig could see that in the blond's thoughts. He made his way over to the bed, sitting on the edge; Youji felt the shift of weights on the mattress, turning his head to face the raven-head. 

"Is it bothering you that much?" Schuldig asked, letting the towel hang around his shoulders; Youji rested his chin on his arms, staring back out the window again. Schuldig waited on his response, but the younger man didn't say anything; getting up from the bed, he headed over to the couch, his designated sleeping spot.

"Shower's yours if you want. I'm done."

"...Matte..." Schuldig stopped, turning his head around to face the younger man; Youji had his head up, gazing after the older man with tear-filled eyes. Schuldig turned around to fully face the blond, a question gaze on his face.

"Hai?"

"...Stay with me..." Youji timidly asked, his voice shaken with pain; Schuldig blinked a little, unsure of what the blond wanted exactly. Tears escaped green eyes, sliding down slightly pale cheeks. Schuldig walked back to the bed, sitting himself down on the edge in front of Youji; he reached a hand out to gently wipe away the blond's tears.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just... stay with me... It – it hurts so much." Schuldig carefully laid Youji back against the mattress, pulling the covers over him; he slid under the covers slowly, pulling the towel off his neck and just tossed it carelessly to the floor. A small smile appeared on Youji's face, but the older man could still sense the heavy pain in the blond's thoughts.

"Just – try to kick me out this time."

* * *

Youji followed closely behind Schuldig, barely paying much attention to what the raven-head was ranting about; he was too engross with his new surrounds to pay attention to much of anything. 

"Kudou! Pay attention!!" Youji jumped a bit, surprised at Schuldig's presence right in front of him. He nodded his head meekly, the older man continuing on walking. Schuldig still ended up sleeping on the couch, since Youji yet again started kicking in his sleep; though he passed it off, right after offering the blond a tour around the changed Japan. They decided after breakfast was a good time to go out.

"Now, coming from a mind set 8 years ago will be ancient as oppose to the mind set now. Stay with me till you understand it better, clear?"

"Hm. Wakata." Youji replied, nodding his head. Schuldig smiled, leading Youji through two glass sliding doors into a fairly large mall. He explained briefly about the place and what could be found; Youji discovered that most of a shopper's needs could easily be satisfied here. Schuldig took him up to the 5th floor, telling the blond they could stop if he saw something interesting.

"Just let me know alright – it's very easy to get lost here, I don't want to have to find you."

"Hai." Youji felt a smile appear on his face, oddly feeling quite at ease with himself, being around an ex-enemy. That, and the fact Schuldig treated him as a normal person and worried about him made the blond feel happier since he woke up.

A flash of red suddenly caught Youji's eye; he turned on his heels, quickly trying to pin point where that flash had disappeared. He saw a brief movement passed the right of him, turning around a corner.

= _Aya!_ =

Schuldig paused, looking back to see Youji had stopped; he walked back, thinking the blond man might have found something of interests in a shop.

"Oi! I thought I told you to tell me when you wanted to look at something." Youji barely paid any attention to what Schuldig was ranting about. He took off, leaving the raven-head yelling after him; Youji didn't stop, the only thing on his mind is finding that shock of red.

= _Aya... Aya, you're still alive! Please, I hope it's so!!_ =

* * *

Youji looked to his left and then his right, looking back to his left. He had been following that flash of red for nearly an hour, and for half of those sights, he wondered if he had been imagining it. Youji let out a sigh, taking a better look at his surrounds; he realized now that he had gotten himself lost in this large mall, and Schuldig was nowhere near him. 

= _K'so... now what have I done?!_ =

He tried to ask some shoppers passing by if they could direct him to the exit; he was responded with odd stares. After a few people had spoken to him, Youji saw exactly how humble his Japanese must have seemed to these people; it startled him at how his speaking was higher level of politeness in this year.

= _Maybe Schuldig is right... 8 years does seem ancient._ =

He let out a sigh, and began walking on his own, trying to recognize his surroundings to give him some clue of where he was going. However, he had been too concentrated on following that red flash, he had barely paid much attention. Youji finally came across a sitting area, going over to seat himself down for a break.

"Excuse me, the seat next to you taken?" A young teen asked; Youji simply shook his head, not willing to speak to anyone expect to Schuldig. He sat for a while, listening to conversations around him; he heard one woman speaking in a different language quite fluently, which surprised him a little. Two men were talking to each other about their doomed love life and what ways they had tried to fix it, but failed.

Youji sighed, as he listened to the conversations around him, running a hand through his hair. He stared down at the floor for a few moments, before looking up and around him; passed a small box of most likely artificial flowers, he noticed that flash of red he had been chasing throughout the mall.

= _Aya!!_ =

The blond man got up from his feet in one quick motion, quickly going over to the other side of the box. He had a hopefully smile on his face, seeing the red not moving from it's spot; he had opened his mouth, but his smile disappeared, fading into a disappointed frown. It was just a little girl, maybe 7 years of age, sitting on an edge behind the box.

= _Just a little girl... I guess I better find Schuldig._ =

Youji turned to go find a place convenient for Schuldig to come find him; he stopped, looking back at the girl. The blond noticed she was crying. Feeling a little bad, Youji went over to her, kneeling down in front of her.

"Doushita na? Did you lose someone or something?" Youji asked gently; the little redhead girl looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She stopped for a moment, biting down on her lower lip before she began crying again, explaining in between sobs what had happened.

"I've lost my mama!!"

"Shh, Daijoubu. I've lost someone too." The little girl stopped her loud cries, looking up at him with wide teary eyes. Youji stood up to half his height, holding a hand out to her; she took it, slowly trying to stop her tears.

"Namae, desu ka?" She asked in a broken question; Youji blinked down at her, before a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Youji – Kudou, Youji. And what's your name?"

"Watashi wa namae Satu desu!"

* * *

Iya! All confusing – Ken gives himself to darkness, Omi is dead and Aya – well, Ran – no one knows where he is. And now this little redhead girl appears – anyways, things shall be cleared up. I know this isn't probably going to be Japan in 8 years from now, but just for the sake of this fic to make Youji feel very alienated in his own homeland.

Anyways – please review, comment, critic, anything is fine! Just no flames, please. It'll all be much appreciated! Thanks!

Emotional-Hikari


	6. Chapter 6: Reunited

WOW! I haven't updated this story in ages! O.o I'm back and I think I'm finally getting back into writing! (My creativity lately has been going to sims2 and been working on my college apps before hand…. XX )

Anyways, enjoy now!

Warnings: Shounen-ai hints (eventually…)

Pairing: Schuldig + Youji

Rating: PG-13

* * *

Schuldig grumbled to himself, scratching the side of his head as he looked around for Youji. He hadn't seen the younger man since he ran off; he had asked if anyone seen the tall blond, but all he received were shrugs. Schuldig was beginning to get frustrated.

_Damn it! Where the hell could he be!_

He continued on searching through the mall, but he had at least 12 floors to search through. Schuldig tried to pick out Youji's thoughts from the crowd, but there were just too many people to receive a clear thought. He let out a frustrated sigh, scratching the side of his head.

_Damn it, Youji! Where are you?_

The redhead let out another sigh, continuing on with finding the blond somewhere in the building. He tried again with his telepathy, still unable to pick out Youji's thoughts from the rest of the crowd; he could be able to find him better if the younger man would call out to him mentally and explain where he was. Schuldig couldn't help but sigh again, running a hand through his hair.

: _Will you call out already? YOUJI!_ :

_…Schuldig?_

Schuldig paused, looking around him; he had thought he heard Youji speak to him, but he didn't see the blond anywhere. He placed a hand on his chin, letting out a low hum.

: _Youji? Can you hear me?_ :

The raven-head asked mentally; he wasn't sure how, but somehow he was connected with the blond's mind, even though he didn't feel it.

_Schuldig? Yeah, I hear you. Where are you?_

Schuldig growled inwardly at the question, mentally yelling at Youji.

:. _Hell, I should be asking you that! Describe what's around you?_ .:

Schuldig waited for Youji to reply, continuing on walking till Youji could figure out his surroundings. He got a reply from the man after a few minutes.

_I'm on the fourth floor, near the first set of elevators._

:. _Fourth floor, ne? Alright, now **don't** move!_ .:

Schuldig waited for his reply from Youji before walking back towards the elevator; his searching for the blond had him all the way on the 22nd floor. The raven-head sighed, as he waited for the doors to open, stepping inside once they dinged. He pressed the button for the fourth floor, placing his hands in his pockets.

_What am I going to do with him?_

* * *

Schuldig placed a hand to the side of his face, eyes closed in slight annoyance; Youji was looking up at him with a nervous look. Satu, the little redhead girl was standing by Youji's side, still holding on to his hand, looking a little confused.

"Youji…"

"Please Schuldig! I promised her I help her find her mother. Please!" The younger man begged, tightening his hand around Satu's a little. Schuldig frowned, crossing his arms across his chest as he thought about the situation in front of him. He did not like children, and the idea of walking around the mall searching for this girl's mother did not appeal to him. However, the pleading look on Youji's face was making him think otherwise; if he refuses to help Youji help this girl find her mother, he would have to deal with even more depression then usually. Schuldig let out a sigh, uncrossing his arms.

"Alright… we'll help her find her mother."

"Honto ka?" Youji asked with a wide smile; Schuldig sighed again, nodding his head. Youji cheered a little, giving Schuldig a hug without thinking; the raven-head tense a little, not expecting the action. Youji blinked a moment, realizing exactly what he was doing; he pulled back from the older man, a faint blush spreading across his nose. Schuldig cleared his throat to break the tension, turning to the little redhead girl.

"Now, where's the last time you saw your mother?"

"She took me to the book store and I wandered off from there." Satu explained; Schuldig looked sideways to Youji, the blond shrugging his shoulders with a nervous smile on his face.

:. _You own it big, Youji!_ .:

_I know…_

Youji replied mentally, nodding his head down. Schuldig asked Satu to take them to the book store her mother had taken her. Satu nodded, leading them down to the third floor, showing them where the book store was and where she wandered off from there. They wandered for a half-hour till Satu managed to spot her mother in the crowd, calling out to her. A dark-haired woman ran towards her, gathering the little redhead girl in her arms.

"Kaa-san!"

"Satu, I was so worried! Yokatta you're safe!" The woman stood up to her feet, holding Satu in her arms; she looked to the two with a grateful smile.

"Arigatou gozaimasu. If you hadn't helped my daughter, I don't know what I would've done."

"He deserves the full thanks – he's the one who wanted to help." Schuldig pointed to Youji, giving a slight shrug. Youji gave a slight bow to the woman; she stared at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Namae wa… nan desu ka?"

"Youji desu. Kudou, Youji." The woman's eyes widened for a moment at his name, before a slight smile appeared on her face.

"Kudou, Youji – I will remember that. Arigatou." Youji gave another slight bow, getting poked by Schuldig, who wanted to head back to the hotel. Youji waved goodbye to Satu and her mother, leaving with Schuldig for the exit; Satu waved back, a large smile on her face. She turned to her mother.

"He's really nice!"

"Hai, Youji-san is very nice. Your father will be very happy." Satu blinked at what her mother said, not understanding what it meant. The woman only smiled, letting the redhead girl down, taking her hand; she walked them out of the mall, catching a cab to take them home.

* * *

Schuldig sat down on the sofa, waiting for Youji to finish with the shower; he had allowed the blond to go first to give himself some time to think. When the mother of Satu saw Youji, Schuldig felt a slight change in her mind – recognition or something. He thought hard about the thought change, trying to recall back before Youji fell into his coma; he could not recall the woman from anywhere, Weiss or no Weiss.

_Who was she then? Her thoughts changed so drastically - she must have know Youji somehow!_

Schuldig let out a slightly frustrated sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. The bathroom door open, Youji stepping out in the night outfit the raven-head was lending him; he was drying his hair with a towel.

"I'm done if you want the shower, Schuldig."

"Thanks." The older man replied, briefly glancing at Youji before staring back into space. Youji continued to dry his hair, walking towards the bed on the other side of the room. He jumped a little when Schuldig spoke out to him.

"You're drying your hair wrong! Here, let me help you!" A slight blush appeared on Youji's face, standing where he was. Schuldig came up behind him, ushering him towards the bed to sit down; he knelt behind the blond, taking the towel and gently began to dry his hair. As Youji sat there, letting the raven-head dry his hair, he did feel the difference in what he was doing before and what Schuldig was doing now. The dark haired man was massaging his skull at the same time, making the blond feel rather sleepy. Schuldig sensed the relaxation in the younger man's thoughts, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Feeling sleepy? That's how it's suppose to be." Youji replied with a slight mumble, closing his eyes; his head occasionally nodded off to the side, catching himself before he collapsed. Schuldig stopped, earning a slight whimper from the young blond.

"It's time to sleep now. Come, into bed!" Schuldig got off the bed, helping lay the blond back against the pillows; Youji curled on his side the minute he was under the covers, letting out a small yawn before closing his eyes. Schuldig let out a sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed; he reached a careful hand to brush away stray strands from the blond's face.

"Oyasumi, Youji." He debated about a light kiss on the forehead or not, but decided against it in the end. Schuldig stood up to his feet, taking the dampen towel with him to the bathroom. He placed it to the side, grabbing a fresh towel from the shelf and set it near the shower as he started the water.

* * *

Youji kept his eyes close; though he was partially awake, he didn't want to be up just yet. He felt comfortable and a warm feeling surrounded him; he snuggled close to the source of the warm, burying his head against it. He felt a hand tenderly run through his hair, letting out a content sigh. Dark green eyes snapped open, staring up into blue eyes; Schuldig grinned at him, pausing with his actions with the blond's hair.

"Morning." The raven-head greeted; Youji stared with wide eyes, seeing that he had been snuggling against Schuldig for the entire time. He pulled away, sitting up straight with his back to the older man, a bright blush across his face. Schuldig snickered at his reaction, carefully crawling out of bed to get dressed.

"…G-gomen." Youji managed out in a muttered; Schuldig waved his hand, telling the blond not to make a big issue about it. The younger man nodded his head, slowly getting out of bed, passing by the raven-head to the bathroom. Schuldig really didn't mind that Youji started snuggling against him – it felt rather comfortable having the younger man sleeping against his chest like that; or maybe he just missed the contact of another body.

_Che! I'm not falling for him now, am I?_

Schuldig pulled out a quick outfit, changing in a fluid motion before the younger man came out of the bathroom. He walked out to the living room, seating himself down on the couch and turned on the TV for a bit. Youji walked by a few seconds later, heading towards the bedroom to change out of his nightclothes. He came back out, fully dressed, fiddling with his fingers.

"Shall we go for breakfast?" Schuldig asked, leaning over the back of the couch; Youji nodded his head meekly. He asked Schuldig if they could go back to the large mall they had been to a couple days ago – the one where he had met Satu and her mother. The older man blinked at the request, but shrugged his shoulders in agreement.

* * *

Schuldig and Youji walked around the mall; after breakfast, the blond had asked if they could stop by some stores Youji had found interesting. Schuldig decided to make the blond happy and agreed to walk around; he hadn't seen the younger man smile like he was now since he woke up.

They visited a bunch of stores, and Youji pointed out the place where he had found Satu alone and crying; Schuldig took a peek into Youji's mind, seeing that the little girl was linked in the blond's mind to Aya – Ran specifically. True, she was a bright, bright redhead and her eyes were a strikingly similar color of violet to Ran's, but anyone could have inherited genes like that. He also saw a slight wish – Youji wanted to meet the little girl again.

The clock tower inside the mall struck noon, Schuldig stopping Youji down to the sitting areas. The raven head offered a drink and something to eat; Youji turned the offer down, but his stomach said otherwise. Schuldig snickered a bit, a slight blush appearing across the younger man's face.

"I'll be right back – **don't **move!" Schuldig stressed; Youji gave a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head, nodding. Schuldig grinned, walking to a nearby stand to order some drinks and food for them. Youji sat with his hands on his knees, watching the people walk by; he studied the interesting new styles and trends that had developed in the last eight years. Some of the styles surprised him, and some he found rather interesting, but probably wouldn't work well on him. He let out a sigh, his mind wondering back to Satu. He knew that anyone could have contributed her red hair, but he couldn't think of anyone with brighter red than Aya. He dropped his gaze to the floor, wondering if the redhead was even still alive; and what of his sister? Aya-chan. She had been awake already before he fell into his coma; had she moved on without her brother?

_…I wish I could remember why…_

"Youji-nii-chan!" A voice pulled him out of his thought, looking behind him to see it was the little redhead girl he had helped a few days ago. She came running towards him, climbing on to the seat next to him. Youji smiled down at her energy, giving her a gentle pat on the head.

"Hello Satu. You're not lost again, are you?"

"Iie! Mama and papa are here with me! They're getting lunch, and I went to get a seat!"

"I meant a seat that was not occupied, dear." The dark haired woman came up next to her, the little girl pouting.

"Konnichi wa, Kudou-san. Satu, we'll find another seat – this one is already taken." Satu pouted, grabbing on to the blond's arm, shaking her head.

"I want to sit with Youji-nii-chan!" The mother placed her hands on her hip, giving the girl a disapproving look.

"Satu, you don't even know him. Now come, we'll sit at a table near by, alright?" The girl shook her head, her red hair flying as she did. Youji only sat there, unsure of what to say or whether to slowly pull his arm out of the child's grasp. Schuldig came with the food and drinks, blinking at the situation. The mother apologized, still trying to convince Satu to let go and find another table.

"Satu, listen to your mother…" Youji's eyes widened at the new voice behind him; it sounded very familiar. The mother looked past Youji to the man presumable her husband, and Satu's father. Satu looked back at her father, letting out a whine.

"Satu, let the man go. Look, there's a table right next to them. We'll sit right there." The father reasoned; Satu finally let go of Youji's arm, sliding out of the chair with a bottom lip pout. Youji turned around in his seat to face the man behind him; his eyes widened at the appearance of the man. He was around average height, wore a loose, causal shirt and casual pants; bright red hair, rather long, was tied back in a low ponytail, violet colored, and slightly upraised eyes gazed down at him. Satu took the man's hand, the redhead giving her a pat on the head.

"Good girl. If you behave, maybe we'll let you walk around with Kudou-san…" The man trailed off, letting go of his daughter's hand. Youji stood up to his feet, staring face to face with the shorter man; the two glanced at each other with familiarity, violet eyes softening in their gaze.

"…Hontou ni…"

"It's good to see you again… Youji…"

"AYA!" Youji embraced the redhead in tight hug, tears beginning to stream down his face. Aya tensed for a moment, before slowly hugging the blond back. Satu went over to her mother, the woman running a gentle hand through her hair.

* * *

Yah! Aya – Ran is still alive! And he has a daughter? O.o Well, hope you all enjoyed this – hopefully I'll get more on this (and the rest of my stories XX ) moving along. Thank you all for reading and stay tuned till next time!

JA!

Emotional-Hikari


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